9th April 2025  /  EAGLE FM

1. Namibia’s Minister of Works and Transport, Veikko Nekundi, announced significant reforms to the country’s road carrier permit system, aiming to eliminate the practice of renting out transport permits. In a move to address long-standing exploitation, the Ministry is replacing indefinite road carrier permits with new, renewable two-year transitional permits.

2. Olayinka Bandele, Chief of the Inclusive Industrialisation Section at the UN Economic Commission for Africa, addressed the consultative engagement on Namibia’s Automotive Policy Framework and Lesotho’s integration into the regional automotive value chain in Windhoek this morning.

3. A stakeholders’ conference regarding the proposed mergers between Pep Stores, Big Daddy, JD Financial, and OK Furniture was held at the Namibia Institute of Public Administration & Management (NIPAM).

4. Namibia, being a net importer, relies heavily on imports for a wide range of goods, from basic commodities to machinery, food products, and fuel. The depreciation or appreciation of the South African Rand (which is pegged to the Namibian Dollar, NAD) directly affects the cost of imports.

5. Mukwe Constituency Councillor Damian Maghambayi has called on the public to support a family in Kantenture village, Kavango East, after a lightning strike claimed the lives of three children. The tragic incident occurred on 2 April, when lightning struck a thatched house during a thunderstorm, killing three children aged 13, five and four.

6. In a dramatic escalation of the ongoing trade conflict, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that starting Wednesday, the U.S. will impose a staggering 104% tariff on all Chinese imports. This comes on top of existing tariffs, as part of Trump’s “reciprocal” tariff strategy after China retaliated by imposing 34% tariffs on U.S. goods.